Conveyer.



YATEHTED OUT. 15, 1906.

' M. G. SUHWAB,

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

.To on whom it may concern.-

MARTIN O. SCHWAB, OF BALTIMORE CONVEYOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GRAVITY YORK, N. Y., A OORPORAIION on NEWCONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed February 10,1904. SerialNo. 192.895.

Be it known that I, MARTIN C. SOHWAB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to package conveyers or chutes, and especiallythose which are built inthe form of an inclosed spiral, through whichthe packages are descended by" their own weight. Its purposeis toincrease the'efliciency of such conveyors; and to this end it consistsin the novel construction .and arrangement of parts herein described,and specifically pointed out in claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, certain partsof which are in section, of a spiral chute comprising my invention. Fig.2 is a sectional plan view with the guides for the inclined shelfremoved, the section being taken through the line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a vertical section through "the spiral, showing a detail of itsconstruction.

. Like figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures.-

10 is a spiral chute or package oonveyer, consisting of an outer shell11, a spiral 12 inside of and attached to this shell and'surrounding aninner core 13, to which it is also secured.

20, 30, 40, and represent different floors of a building which areconnected by the conveyer.

31,-"41, and 51 are openings in the outer.

shell 11, which afford communication between the floors and the chute.32, 42, and 52 are doors arranged to cover these openings when they arenot in use. The doors 42 and 52 are so arranged that they may be slid upand down to open or close the chute. The door 42, as shown in. Figs. 1and 2, is in its closed position. The door 52 is raised, so that theopening 51 is ready for use. The door 32, which is adapted to close theopening 31 at the lower end of the spiral, 1s a hinged door, and, asshown, is held up in its open position by means of a chain 33 and a hook34.

At 45 and" 55 I have shown nclined shelves leading to the openings 41and 51.

These are for the purpose of facilitating putwardly through the floor 30to the floor 20.

In such case a horizontal partition 63 is supported on a circularangle-strip 64, which is secured to such outer shell. The inner coremay. be supported by means of the spiral blade and its connections withthe outer packages, which are slid over them have motion im- 1 of thespiral, at which I shell 11, or inner core may be supported by saidpartition 63, being secured thereto by the circular angle-collar 66. Thepartition divides the interior of the outer shell into an upper chamber65 and a lower chamber 23. The partition has a circular opening in itscenter, which opening registers with the lower open end of the innercore 13.- An opening 21 is provided in the-outer shell 11 forcommunication with the lower chamber 23. A door 22 is shown for closingthe opening 21. The chamber 23 and the interior of the core 13 may beused for various purposes-as, for example, in a ventilating system, orfor containing certain pipes of an automatic fire-extinguishing system,oras conduit for electric wires, &c. In the event that the core 13 isused as a wire-conduit the chamber 23 may serve well as a switch-roomand for safely inclosing the fusesand junction-boxes of anelectric-lighting system, for

I instance.

Gravity-conveyors of this kind are in common use. The purpose of thisinvention is to improve such conveyors, so that they may be used fortransmitting parcels of a more delicate and fragile nature than hashitherto been possible with this kind of conveyers. This end Iaccomplish by lining the parts of the conveyor with which the parcelscome in contacti. e., the spiral 12, the inner side of the shell 11, andthe outer side of the central core 11with a soft resilient materialhaving a smooth surface. The inclined platform 35 may also be providedwith a covering 60, and, if desired, the part of the floor 30, ontowhich the packages will slide, may

also be covered with a soft material. In Fig. 3 I have shown in detail asection of a spiral, with its outer shell and inside core so covered. 60represents the covering or lining. I have shown a preferredconstruction, which consists of several thicknesses of felt, to make acushion or soft pad (shown at 61) covered scratching, or other injurywhich might oth-' It is also possible by using a.

erwiseoccur. lining of the nature described to build the spiralwith asteeper pitch and to safely convey packages through the conveyer atagreater rate of speed.

When packages are sent down through a spiral conveyer, they not onlyslide on the spiral itself, which bears their weight, but theyalso rubalong the outside shell on account of centrifugal force. This is whatprevents them from traveling too rapidly and what makes conveyers ofthis type desirable. It is evident that a lining of the kind hereindescribed is particularly adapted for use; in conjunction with thesespiral gravity-conveyers.

I have described a specific kind of lining, but do not wish'to confinemyself to this construction, as any lining of a soft or resilient natureand with. a smooth surface will answer the same purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a spiral conveyor,the combination of a spiral, an outer shell and an inner core, and aresilient lining on the upper surface of the spiral and the innersurface of the shell and the outer surface of the core.

2. In a spiral conveyer, the combination of a spiral, an'outer shell andan inner core, and a resilient lining on the conveying-surfaces, thelining corrsisting of one or more layers of felt covered with leather.

3. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with a tubular shaft and. aninner core, of a spiral between the same, and a resilient covering forthe spiral conveying-surfaces.

4. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with a tubular shaft and aninner core, of a spiral between the same, and a resilient covering forthe spiral conveying-surface and for a portion of said tubular shaftabove the conveying-surface.

5. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with a tubular shaft and aninner core, of a spiral between the same, and a resilient liningcovering the spiral conveying-surface and portions of said tubular shaftand inner core to form a trough-shaped spiral.

6. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with a tubular shaft and acore, of a spiral between the same, a trough-shaped resilient coveringfor said spiral, a landing and an inclined shelf at saidlanding beforean opening. in said tubular shaft and outer wall of said resilientcovering.

7 In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with an outer casing and aninner core, of a,

spiral therebetween, and a.-leather covering for said spiral.

8. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with an outer casing and aninner core, of a spiral therebetween, and a covering of smooth leatherfor the conveymg-surfaces.

9. In-a g avity-conveyer, the combination with an outer casing and aninner core, of a spiral therebetween and a resilient troughshapedcovering for said spiral and spiral portions of the interior of saidcasing and the exterior of said inner core, said lining comprising aplurality of layers of felt covered with leather having a smoothsurface.

-.10. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with a tubular shaft and aninner core, of a spiral between the same, alanding, an inclined shalfadjacent said landing and an intake-opening in the tubular shaft,alowerlanding, a platform connecting said lower landing with adischarge-opening in said shaft, and a resilient covering for saidspiral and platform.

11. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with an outer casing and aninner core, of a spiral, a plurality of landings, inclined shelves atthe upper landings for intake-0' enings of, the conveyer, an inclinedplatform. for a discharge-opening at the lowermost landing,'slidingdoors for said intake-openings, and swinging door for thedischargeopening pivoted about the same.

12. In a gravity-conveyor, the combination with a tubular shaft, of apartition in said shaft to form upper and lower chambers, a tubular corein the upper chamber communicating with said lower chamber, and a spiralin the upper chamber leading from an intakeopening to adischarge-opening of the conveyer.

13. In a gravity-conveyer, the combination with a tubular shaft, of apartition in said shaft to form upper and lower chambers,

a door for said lower chamber, a tubular core V MARTIN O. SCHWAB.Witnesses:

HENRY E. KIRBY.

ERNEST W. MARsHAL

